I am linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to share my monthly recap and as usual cannot piece together in my mind where the month went. God bless it all.

What we're eating this week:

This week we’ll be eating simple and healthy meals. I have some chicken breasts, shrimp, and steaks in the freezer so my goal is to use those with the fresh vegetables I have on hand (green beans, Brussels Sprouts, onions, kale, zucchini, spaghetti squash, potatoes, plus all the fixings to make salad). Lean, mean, and green. Well, maybe not too mean but definitely lean and green! 😉

I did make this Whole 30 (adapted to Paleo) pumpkin and apple bake for breakfast last weekend. Let’s just say the tweaks I made to the original recipe were beyond delightful. The original recipe is probably great as is, but I had some different ingredients and ideas. I’ll be sharing the recipe soon!

PS – there’s never a wrong time to enjoy pumpkin year ‘round.

What I'm reminiscing about:

Gosh. I had to think for a second…my mind was totally blank for once. But then I started thinking about last year in March and what a tough month is was for me, but how April shed some light and things began to shift. I went to Tennessee for Easter last year and enjoyed seeing my family so much.

What I'm loving:

I am totally loving these crispy broccoli florets! Goodness gracious. It tastes like how I roast them in the oven until they’re crispy, only these are readily available to munch on like a chip. The FH and I are loving them. We found them at Sam's Club. However, it seems you can find similar ones at Trader Joe's (go figure!) and I will certainly try them the next time I venture to Trader Joe's. The reviews on Amazon aren't great for the TJ version, but I'll give them a shot. Meanwhile, we've stocked up on the Little Green Forest brand below that we know is scrumptious!

What we've been up to:

We’ve been up to a little bit of everything. Dinners with family and friends, wedding planning stuff for our wedding as well as for friends’ weddings, work work work work work, spring cleaning around the house, and literally trying very hard to have down time alone and together with the FH.

This is from last week's wine night at my friend's house with good wine & cheese and a lot of (always needed) girl chat.

Saturday night we had dinner at Marais and it was really good! The restaurant was super pretty with beautiful chandeliers, too. We went to an 80's bar afterwards and enjoyed the music so much we stayed much later than intended and danced the night away.

What I'm dreading:

Nada, except Houston’s heat, humidity, and mosquitoes.

What I'm working on:

I am working on a new schedule, preparing to train someone, wedding stuff, myself, and always my faith. I am counting down the days to when life slows down soon and I can shift my priorities around, get back into reading the Bible and then evaluate what work needs to be done/time invested into the blog. I have admittedly been staying afloat for a while as I’ve been in the busiest season of my life yet, but knowing all along it is temporary, to embrace it, and to give myself grace to let things go for now…and its worked!

What I'm excited about:

I’m excited about Orange Theory and working out with the FH. It always helps to have a gym buddy, but it’s even better for it to be a significant other and to know you’re both working hard at being healthy together. Plus, it’s nice to have an intense work out that switches things up in between my other works outs or runs.

What I'm watching/reading:

I haven’t been watching much of anything since The Bachelor ended. Arie was/is a disappointment, not the season itself but him specifically and how he handled everything...and that is an understatement. Any shows that you’d recommend that we watch? If I ever have time to sit down right now it’s usually not to watch TV but the day will come when our evenings will be a little more relaxed.

I finished the book of James bible study from my church and am currently not reading anything! I haven't used the treadmill or elliptical recently so I'm delayed on my reading. I did tap into a book I read a long time ago called Grace Filled Marriage while on the treadmill part of Orange Theory recently to help pass the time and I picked up The Light We Lost in paperback the other day but plan to save it to read on vacation next month.

What I'm listening to:

I am listening to sermons by Pastor Ron Hindt from Calvary Houston on my drives in to work. They are played on 100.7 on the radio. He’s great! I also still listen to my podcasts Hope City, Joyce Meyer, Breakaway Ministries, Bayou City Fellowship, and Marriage Today. If you want to feel good, learn about God, love, marriage, and start your day off right then I highly recommend listening to any of those podcasts. God is so good. I cannot imagine my life without them.

What I'm wearing:

Don’t even get me started. I have been shopping online like a crazy woman recently while knowing full well that a lot of what I order will be returned and has been. Reasons like ordering two different dresses knowing I want one or the other depending on which one fits me best or ordering two sizes. I am planning for and making pack lists for five trips I have in the coming months and trying to take advantage of sales while I can snag them.

Some things remain tried and true. I love my Leith racerback dresses that I've shared a dozen times before. It is back in stock and currently comes in SEVEN colors. Shut.the.front.door. Stock up while you can. It's perfect for work or play. It can be dressed up or worn with sandals. I currently own it in three colors and rotate to wear one per week at work. It is the most comfortable work outfit I own (and am actually wearing the black one as a type this).

I'm also rotating in weekly one of the four colors I own this BP midi dress in (and it's 40% off right now). It now comes in five colors. There is no shame in my game making my work attire comfortable and easy to grab and go in the mornings.

These BlankNYC boyfriend shorts were all the rage last year and I ordered them but returned them. They're actually very comfortable and look great on everyone I have seen them on. However, I prefer not to wear shorts and looked at the umpteen pairs I still have (some with tags) and decided to be financially smart and return them. I'd totally recommend them though! Great reviews too.

I purchased this gold mesh sweater from Lulu's for $23 final sale. I love it! I can't wait to wear it. It also comes in a rose gold on sale for $39 (not final sale).

Then there's this open back sweater from Lulu's. It's love. All love. It's loose and comfortable, yet hangs nicely so it doesn't make me look wide. It's thin in material which is perfect for our spring evenings when the temps dip a little bits. It's runs large so size down.

I think I'll save all of my other fabulous finds for the weeks to come as I'll be wearing and sharing them. =)

What I'm doing this weekend:

It’s Easter weekend and I’m off on Friday for Good Friday. HOORAY! I’m not sure what I’ll do on Friday. Saturday my mom and I will do some wedding stuff and have lunch together. Then, on Sunday I’ll be celebrating the Lord’s resurrection at church and have our families over for Sunday brunch afterwards. Pretty much, this will be a very relaxing weekend with a lot of family time. My favorite.

What I'm looking forward to next month:

Next month I’m looking forward to a lot of things. 😉

What else is new:

I think I've summed it all up already!

How was your month of March? What were your highlights? Are you looking forward to April too?